David Sedaris

David Sedaris likes to talk…whether it’s in front of 1000 people, or just one-on-one. The noted humorist and satirist performed Thursday, October 13 to a nearly sold out audience for almost two hours, and then to a group of avid fans who patiently awaited him to sign the books for over another 2 hours.

David’s stories – such as that of the doomed love between a chipmunk and a squirrel, or his speech declining a run for the presidency in 2012, had the audience in stitches. And working with mostly new material, it gave him the chance to test drive his newest works, many of which will most likely find their way into magazines, or on National Public Radio, or in one of his best selling short story collections. He provides

But David just seems generally interested in people. Walking backstage after ending his pre-show signing, he was fascinated about the Mayo Center’s volunteers, and how nice they were. “The one gentleman was 82 years old!” he exclaimed. In the post performance book signing, in which the line of people extended from the upper lobby (where he was signing), almost all the way to front of the Theatre, he took his time, chatted up his fans and individualized every book he signed. I’m sure that many of the patrons were more excited by their one-on-one encounters with him and just how nice a person he is. He even gave his Caesar salad to one of our volunteers.

Afterward, he told me – noting the two times he had been here before – that he liked our audiences because they were so knowledgeable. And then it was onto his next stop, 41 cities in 42 days.

Summer Performing Arts School recap and more...

It’s hard to believe that school is back in session and that our fall classes are in full swing! This summer really flew by! What is it they say? ”Time flies when you’re having fun?” And boy did we have fun! (While working very hard of course!) We ran 8 weeks of full day sold-out workshops overlapping during a six week period - so thank goodness for a fantastic staff and a really great bunch of students!


Our regular Broadway Kids Camps for ages 7-10 and Professional Musical Theatre Workshops for ages 11-15 were better than ever and with the addition of our Acting Camp and Advanced Teen 3- week Musical Theatre Conservatory for ages 13-18, the summer was a huge success! All of our performers did an outstanding job in their main stage performances and worked like professionals in their technique classes. Some highlights of the program included a visit by Broadway performers Paolo Montalban (who played the Prince in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella opposite Brandy) and Olivia Oguma (from “Mamma Mia”) as well as a master class with Broadway Vocal Coach Robert Marks.


After the busy summer season was over, our PAS students were invited to participate in the Mayo Performing Arts Center community-wide 9/11 10 year anniversary Remembrance event. This event was our way of bringing the community together to honor those lost in the attacks and honor the men and women who serve our country everyday to protect our inalienable rights. The students closed the program with a very special song called “America Rising,” which was written right after 9/11/http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif01 by my very good friends Sharilyn Pitifer-Minetti and Rino Minetti. And to make the moment even more meaningful for me, some of my students from 10 years ago who originally recorded and performed the song for many of the first year 9/11 memorials and are now successful young adults came and performed alongside them. Included in that group was Gaius Charles who played Brian “Smash” Williams on NBC’s “Friday Night Lights.” They all did a fantastic job and made us really proud! To see photos please click here.

Auditions were held on September 13th for our 2011-2012 Performing Arts Company. This group of talented young performers represent the theatre by performing all over Morris County for non-profit organizations, community events and fundraisers and really set the tone for our whole program by spreading the message that what comes with talent is the responsibility to use it wisely and to help others. We picked a wonderful group of 23 very talented performers and we’re happy to have many returning members amongst that group. We’re now working hard to prepare our performance for the MPAC Starlight Ball on October 15th with John Pizzarelli and many upcoming community events!

We’re looking forward to a really great season at MPAC and love seeing all the smiling faces coming into our Education studios every week! This semester we’ve added “Singing Technique for Adults” on Monday evenings with Opera singer Alison Bolshoi who will be working on using specific techniques to free the natural voice. She is incredible and dynamic and I feel very lucky to have her at MPAC. We also have a brand new acting class for teens called “The Play’s the Thing,” which will take teens through the whole process involved in rehearsing and performing a play. The majority of our classes have once again filled up completely but we are still taking registrations for some of the teen and adult classes. Just give Roxie a call at 973-539-0345 ext. 6582 or pas@mayoarts.org and she’ll get you all set up!

Stay tuned for future posts on our many other School and Community programs. It looks like the Education department is going to have our busiest and most meaningful season ever!

Neighborhood House Day - August 6, 2011

Staff members Katie Sword and Mark Mattera from the Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC), along with volunteers Will Fullman and Carolina Hidalgo, attended the 9th Annual Neighborhood House Day at Caudwell Playground in Morristown. The day is organized to provide fun events, food and entertainment from local businesses in town. It also exposes families to all that Morristown has to offer.

The Neighborhood House, located on Flager Street and founded in 1898, provides services for infants and preschoolers, children and youth from elementary school through high school and adults of all ages. Originally it was founded to help Italian immigrants acclimate to a new culture. Today its mission is to help all new immigrants, help families who are confronting economic challenges and foster cross-cultural acceptance.

MPAC provides After School Enrichment programs to Neighborhood House locations in Morristown and Randolph. Children get an introduction to the basic skills of musical theater through singing, dancing and acting. Professional theater teaching artists work closely with students on a weekly basis to give them a comprehensive musical theater experience. The students apply their newfound skills to rehearsing a short performance piece that is presented for families and friends. Not only do students learn performing arts skills, but they also learn about working with a group, cooperation and collaboration. MPAC’s longest running outreach program, the enrichment program has been held at Neighborhood House since 2006.



MPAC has also received a $5,000 grant from the TD Charitable Foundation supporting our Neighborhood House program. “Support from corporations such as TD Bank and the TD Bank Charitable Foundation will allow children from families living in underserved communities the opportunity to partake in a high-caliber arts program that addresses the essential arts requirement for early childhood education,” said Allison Larena, President and CEO, Mayo Performing Arts Center. We thank TD Bank for its support of our mission.”

"TD Bank and the TD Charitable Foundation are pleased to support this important education initiative. We believe that organizations such as Mayo Performing Arts Center and Neighborhood House play a significant role in sustaining vibrant and thriving communities," said Joseph Nalbach, regional vice president.

Volunteer picnic - July 16, 2011

Summer is a time wind down, spend time outdoors, and for us a time to throw a darn good picnic for our dedicated volunteers. This past Saturday on July 16th over 70 volunteers and staff gathered at Lewis Morris Park for our annual picnic where we celebrated our volunteers for their hard work, customer service, and beautiful smiles.

In case you missed it, here's a rundown of the events. First, let's start with the food. The typical fare was provided- burgers, hot dogs, wings, and sausage. But we're not going to talk about the typical fare. We are going to talk about the wonderful dishes brought by our volunteers, who despite the fact the picnic was being done for them, still went above and beyond to bring stuff of their own just to make the day a little more special...and boy we are sure glad they did! Pasta salads made from family recipes were shared as well as various Mexican dips. A fan favorite was Sandy Bolan's blueberry pie. Staff member and operations manager Tim McMurray got in on the action providing a cous cous salad with feta cheese. There is even talk of putting together a volunteer recipe book to share the many tasty dishes that were enjoyed that day!

Games are also a highlight of all picnics which everyone made the most of by taking advantage of the sunny day to play. Volunteer Milt Goldband & Bob Terlizzi proved their atlethicism playing frisbee while others joined staff and family members for a wiffle ball game.

But what completed the day was the celebration of our volunteers. Capturing Rookie of the Year was Christina Capsouras. Volunteer of the Year with over 122 performances volunteered this season was Mina Rizzo. Three volunteers, Carol Moss, Jack Zybura and Donna Parris got their names on seat plaques for volunteering at 100 plus performances.

Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers. You truly are an integral part of enjoying performances at the Mayo Performing Arts Center and we couldn't get through the season without you.

2011 - 2012 Season Staff picks

So much goes into planning a season. From searching to booking, it's just as exciting behind the scenes as it is to attend our lineup of concerts and performances. And with all the great shows this season we decided to share with you some our staff picks - because after all it's rewarding for us to know all the water cooler talk about what's in the works has come to fruition.

Anne Van Druff - Marketing Manager
Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Friday, September 9, 2011 at 8 pm
I am so psyched for Kenny Wayne Shepherd! "Blue on Black" is one of my favorite songs and it
brings me back to my college days when it was always on the radio.

Ed Kirchdoerffer - General Manager
I’m drawn to comedy, so here are a couple that I am looking forward to seeing…

David Sedaris - Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 8 pm
I have seen David perform three times, and even drove him once from the hotel to the Theatre. He is a very funny guy with an absurd sense of humor. He’s also a very gracious and nice person, who takes his time signing books and personalizing it.

Jim Gaffigan - Saturday, October 1, 2011 at 7 pm and 9:30 pm
A few years ago, Jim was supposed to be a surprise artist at a Manhattan Comedy Night but cancelled. Finally, we are getting him. I can only hope he does his Hot Pockets bit. If you haven’t seen it, You Tube it.

Celebrity Autobiography - Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 8 pm
Celebrity Autobiography intrigues me, and we can’t wait to find out who is in the cast. The Intergalactic Nemesis (Jan 29) is another one that I am very curious about – it’s a comic book live on stage, with sound effects, images and everything. Could be really cool. I’m also circling Tracy Morgan, Mike Birbiglia and Lisa Lampanelli.

Irene Pazzani - Programming Development Manager

Joan Baez – Wednesday, November 16, 2011 at 8 pm
A legend in her own time. One of the most influential singer/songwriters of our time. What more do you need to say.

Bobby Collins – Friday, January 13, 2012 at 8 pm
Bobby tells stories that everyone can relate to, and find the humor every situation from family, friends, work and even pets. He’s very animated and doesn’t find the need to be “risqué” and dirty. You pretty much start laughing from the moment he hits the stage.

Super Diamond – Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 8 pm
Hands down, the BEST tribute band of anyone. You actually think you’re seeing Neil Diamond - and you actually just might, as Neil has occasion, hopped up onstage with Super Diamond to sing a few of his own songs! You have no idea how many Neil Diamond songs you actually have floating around in your head until you start hearing them and wind up singing along.


Cory Ness – Programming Assistant

The Miles Davis Experience - Saturday, November 5, 2011 at 8 pm
I’m very excited for The Miles Davis Experience show, particularly with the cool multimedia clips projected behind the performers- many of which are rare images from the Miles Davis estate!

Yo La Tengo — Saturday, September 24, 2011 at 8 pm
All modern indie rock acts owe a nod of respect to Yo La Tengo, who have been reinventing pop music for almost 20 years.

Mike Birbiglia - Saturday, March 10, 2012 at 8 pm
This may be the not-to-be-missed comedy show of the season. Catch him before he explodes on the scene!


Anthony Scareon - Assistant to the President & CEO

In the Heights - Saturday, October 22, 2011 at 8 pm
In my opinion, the greatest musical ever written! Saw it 3 times on Broadway and there’s a reason why it won the 2009 Tonys for Best Musical, Best Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestration.

The musical exemplifies what I’m all about- incorporating hip hop culture with musical theatre, Spanglish playwright, salsa and break dancing, rhythmic artistic poetry via dialogue- as well as strong vocals filled with passion and romance. It embodies the dream that everyone that grows up in inner city America has- how to rise above the poverty and struggle; focus on your ambitions, goals, love and the pursuit of eternal bliss.

It’s a musical, a witty comedy and a great love story. Enjoyed by various generations and ethnic backgrounds- it appeals to all.


Boyz II Men - Friday, June 1, 2012 at 8 pm
One of the greatest acapella and R&B groups of all time that gained their exposure due to the success of their mentors and predecessors, New Edition, at the height of the New Jack Swing Era of Pop/R&B music. Boyz II Men performed songs that every generation, both men and women- as well as every ethnic background could relate to and enjoy. The sound was innovative and cross-pollinated R&B, Doo Wop and pop ballads, as well as combining decades of soul music together. One of my personal favorites, due to the fact that they were the soundtrack to my generation’s “slow jams” at our high school dances and fond memories of that time period of my life.

Diana Ross, Jay Leno Headline The Mayo Performing Arts Center 2011-2012 Season

The Mayo Performing Arts Center will present over 100 events during its 2011-2012 season.

The official kickoff of the 2011-2012 season will be Sunday, October 2, with a performance by the legendary Diana Ross. Also scheduled to appear this season are k.d. lang, comedians Jim Gaffigan and Lisa Lampanelli, Broadway star Bebe Neuwirth, folk legend Joan Baez, pop favorites Wilson Phillips, Boys II Men and Howard Jones, and many more.

Jay Leno, host of NBC’s The Tonight Show, will make a rare live appearance on August 26.

This season marks the debut of a new “Spoken Word” lecture series genre, featuring talk show host Larry King, cooking guru Lidia Bastianich and humorist David Sedaris.

The Theatre also returns its popular Kids Club children series, and New Jersey Ballet’s Nutcracker, for 11 performances between December 16-26. The full lineup of classical, jazz, comedy, contemporary, children’s, world music and dance events can be seen at www.mayoarts.org.

Subscription orders (4 or more performances) are currently being taken. Tickets for individual events go on sale July 11. Additional events will be added throughout the season. Schedule subject to change.

2011-2012 Season (Shows subject to change)

AUGUST 2011
8/26 Jay Leno
8/27 Jim Breuer
8/29 Lyle Lovett

SEPTEMBER 2011
9/9 Kenny Wayne Shephard
9/22 k.d Lang and The Siss Boom Bang
9/24 Yo La Tengo
9/29 Lindsey Buckingham

OCTOBER 2011
10/1 Jim Gaffigan (7 pm & 9:30 pm)
10/2 Diana Ross (opening night)
10/8 Dead On Live
10/9 Kings of Salsa
10/13 David Sedaris
10/14 A Tribute to Johnny Cash: The Man in Black
10/16 Bobby Vinton
10/20 George Benson: The Unplugged Version
10/22 In the Heights
10/23 Angelina Ballerina: The Musical (1:30 pm and 4 pm)
10/29 Tracy Morgan

NOVEMBER 2011
11/3 Rita Rudner
11/4 Get the Led Out
11/5 The Miles Davis Experience: 1949-1959
11/11 Larry King
11/16 Joan Baez
11/17 Parsons Dance
11/18 In the Mood: A 1940’s Musical
11/26 Celtic Tenors with John McDermott
11/27 Mooseltoe (1:30 pm and 4 pm)

DECEMBER 2011
12/1 Jingle Bell Rock w/Eddie Money, Lou Gramm and Mickey Thomas
12/2 Manhattan Comedy Night
12/4 The Sound of Christmas with Elisabeth Von Trapp and Empire Brass
12/8 Crystal Gayle: A Crystal Christmas
12/9 Kenny G: The Holiday Show
12/10 Wilson Phillips: Christmas in Harmony
12/16-12/26 NJ Ballet’s The Nutcracker

JANUARY 2012
1/6 The Best of Broadway: The Songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber
1/13 Bobby Collins
1/14 Frankie Gavin and De Dannan
1/15 Clifford the Big Red Dog – Live! (1:30 pm & 4 pm)
1/20 Burton Cummings
1/27 Manhattan Comedy Night
1/28 Blast
1/29 Intergalactic Nemesis

FEBRUARY 2012
2/1 David Garrett
2/3 Paquito D’Rivera
2/4 Super Diamond
2/5 Romeo and Juliet
2/10 Am Evening of Romance featuring Michael Amante
2/11 Lisa Lampanelli
2/12 Ragamala Dance: Sacred Earth
2/16 Celebrity Autobiography
2/17 “Tschaikowski” St. Petersburg State Orchestra
2/18 Soul Rebels Brass Band and Brother Joscephus
2/19 Burn the Floor
2/23 The Robert Cray Band and Shemekia Copeland
2/24 The Spencers: Theatre of Illusion
2/26 New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players: “I’ve Got a Little Twist”

MARCH 2012
3/2 Ballet Folklorico De Antioquia, Colombia
3/4 Pinkalicious: The Musical (1:30 pm and 4 pm)
3/9 The Machine
3/10 Mike Birbiglia’s My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend
3/11 Garden State Folk & Roots Festival
3/13 Paper Bag Players – Laugh, Laugh, Laugh!
3/17 Women of Ireland (3 pm & 8 pm)
3/19 The Magic School Bus – Live!
3/23 The John Pizzarelli Quartet: Dear Mr. Sinatra
3/26 Seussical
3/29 The Del McCoury Band
3/31 Moscow Festival Ballet: Cinderella

APRIL 2012
4/1 Max & Ruby: Bunny Party (1:30 pm and 4:30 pm)
4/12 Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
4/13 Mercy Me
4/14 The Passing Zone: Gravity Attacks (3 pm & 7:30 pm)
4/20 Dance Theatre of Harlem
4/22 Catskills on Broadway
4/24 Butterfly: Story of a Life Cycle
4/26 Ricky Nelson Remembered
4/27 Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman

MAY 2012
5/3 The House on Pooh Corner
5/4 Manhattan Comedy Night
5/5 Il Circo: Viaggio (3pm and 7:30 pm)
5/6 New Jersey Jazz Society
5/11 Nai Ni Chen Dance Company and The Ahn Trio
5/12 An Evening with Steve Tyrell and Debby Boone
5/17 An Evening with Lidia Bastianich
5/18 Bowfire
5/19 New Jersey Ballet presents Giselle
5/20 New Jersey Ballet : Pinocchio (1:30 pm and 4 pm)

JUNE 2012
6/1 Boyz II Men
6/2 An Evening with Bebe Neuwirth
6/23 Howard Jones - Live

Music Student of the Month Annual Recital

For the past 9 years, the Mayo Performing Arts Center has honored hundreds of Morris County middle and high school music students through our Music Student of the Month program. These talented young musicians are nominated by their music teachers for not only their success as musicians but also for their leadership in their school community. Each month of the school year has a category and the students who are honored for that month are invited to a performance that corresponds with the category. The students are called up onstage to receive their certificate and be recognized by the audience and then get to watch the performance with their family!

One of the highlights of this program is our Music Student of the Month Annual Recital which takes place every June. Each student who was honored during the year is invited to play a piece of their choice for their fellow music students, teachers, family, friends, and the general public on the MPAC stage. This year’s recital took place on Sunday, June 5th and featured twelve students ranging in age from 7th to 12th grade. They represented schools in Morristown, Mendham, Randolph, Butler, Kinnelon, Budd Lake, Florham Park, and East Hanover. The piano was the most popular instrument of the afternoon and we were also treated to several vocalists, saxophonists, and a percussion ensemble that was made up of a mixture of drums, car parts, and a bird cage! The afternoon concluded with a reception in our Starlight Room where the young musicians had a chance to mingle with their guests, fellow performers and Morris area music teachers.

The 2011-2012 Music Student of the Month program will begin in September! For more information about the Music Student of the Month program, please call Roxie in the Education Office at 973.539.0345 x6582.

PAC at March of Dimes

Throughout the season we have many stars that grace our stage in Morristown. From Aretha Franklin to Jim Breuer to Bill Cosby, you never know who will show up. But how many know about our young stars in the Performing Arts Company who put on show for our community?

Our Performing Arts Company is made up of teens that represent our organization by performing Broadway-style musical numbers at community events and fundraisers around New Jersey free of charge to the organization. Most recently, on May 1st, they performed at the March of Dimes of Morris County’s annual March for Babies 5K walk held on the campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, NJ.

Our young stars opened the entertainment portion of the day by performing a "Music Through The Ages" medley and "Heal The World" by Michael Jackson. This was our first time being a part of a March of Dimes event, and we are thrilled to have this new partnership, and look forward to helping them out with future fundraisers.

Also in attendance were the Real Housewives of New Jersey – Cathy Wakile, Melissa Gorga, Jacqueline Laurita and Caroline Manzo. During the mini-idol talent show at the March of Dimes event, a Real Housewives' daughter took first place over our PAC member Montana Byrne, who won second place. It's okay Montana, you will always be first place with us!

For an upcoming schedule of our Performing Arts Company, please go to http://www.mayoarts.org/education/pac.htm .

Don't forget to check our summer lineup at http://www.mayoarts.org

Pawnographic

A pilot’s license signed by Orville Wright. Documents signed by Charles Lindbergh. An unfinished Beatles song by George Harrison. A Mickey Mouse comic book – in Russian. They are just a few of the items that will come under scrutiny this weekend when Rick, Corey and Chumlee, aka the Pawn Stars, come to Morristown.

The Pawn Stars Gold and Silver Road Show stops at the Mayo Performing Arts Center this Saturday with shows at 3 pm and 8 pm.

Pawn Stars is the hottest show on History. Each week viewers watch as people try to pawn items of all sorts to the proprietors of the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas. Sometimes, the items have a unique story and a high value; sometimes the items are discovered to be fakes. No matter what, the proprietors negotiate to get the best price for resale.

Rick Harrison, his son Cory and Chumlee will be at the MPAC to potentially purchase up to 10 items (items were submitted and reviewed by e-mail). They will also talk about their popular show, their surprising fame and challenge the audience to guess the value of items. And yes, some people may walk out with “cash money,” as they like to call it, in their pockets.

Being that our Theatre was built in 1937 and has had a host of famous stars come through it, we hope they may want to put a value on some of the autographed memorabilia that we have collected over the years. Hey, like they say in Pawn Stars, you never know what walks through their door and what the value of it may be.

Tickets are still available for both performances.

Mayo Performing Arts Center

Dear Patrons,

The Community Theatre at Mayo Center for the Performing Arts has completed a three year name transition and will simply be known as the Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) beginning May 3, 2011. Our tagline is, “Morristown’s Community Theatre since 1937.”

Mayo Performing Arts Center reflects what we have evolved into – a fully formed performing arts center that not only brings the world’s greatest entertainers to Morristown, but has a robust performing arts program, an extensive education program for children and adults, partner programs with local school districts, a visual arts gallery, and outreach into the community.

MPAC fully embraces all of our new capabilities and exciting new opportunities in the future. Being designated a Performing Arts Center also helps clear up a misperception by many agents and performers about the type of venue this is, as the words “community theater” invoke a particular stereotypical image of a small venue, not of the world class facility that MPAC has evolved into. It can only mean bigger and more famous acts could come to Morristown.
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The concert hall itself will continue to be called The Community Theatre. It is one part of the venue, which also includes the Post Art Upstairs Gallery, The Starlight Room and the Hellstrom Education Studios.

The Community Theatre was renamed after benefactor Bud Mayo, former Chairman of the Board of Trustees in 2007. The organization adopted a transitional name for a three year period. The switch to Mayo Performing Arts Center completes that transition.

Please visit our website for our exciting summer season!

April 22

Our summer lineup is quickly shaping up in the way we like our summers to be...hot! With performers including Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper, Marie Osmond, Jim Breuer, Travis Tritt, Bill Engvall and many more... we have one sizzling summer ahead of us.

The most recent announcement to our lineup however, bears something of an odd title: Denis Leary and Friends present: #Thinning the Herd (Wednesday, July 13). Wait, why is there a '#' sign? Is that a typo?

When it was announced in our office, calls and inquiries were quickly made to verify just what that '#' means and why it's there. Well, this '#' isn't the traditional number sign you may be thinking. It's called a hashtag or should I say, it's also called a hashtag.

What the heck is a hashtag you may be asking yourself, which is what was asked the other day in our office. Plain and simple, a hashtag is a way to tag or mark certain words or phrases for an Internet search. More specifically, Twitter adopted the hashtag as a way to tag topics that are trending. Oh wait, there's two more terms... tag and trending. Maybe it's not as simple and straightforward. Tag is like labeling and/or linking, depending on how it's used. Trending, now an active verb, is the current hot topic and how hot or trendy that topic may be depends on being able to measure it by using the hashtag so it can be searched. Get the picture?

For example, let’s say you have a Twitter account and you want to tweet that you are seeing Denis Leary’s show tonight. Ok, more words to define – Twitter as a noun is a series of short, high-pitched calls or sounds. As a verb, referring to a bird, twitter means to give a call consisting of repeated light tremulous sounds. As it has been redefined today, Twitter is a social networking site that acts as a posting board of messages inputted by users. These messages display like a news feed on Twitter.com for other users to see. The act of inputting such messages is called tweeting.

Before we get too lost and consider the implications of technology redefining the way words are applied in the English language, let's just stick to the explanation of Denis Leary's touring comedy show - #Thinning the Herd. The '#' before the group of words or title “Thinning the Herd” tags those specific words to be grouped and searched as a specific subject. And in the case of Twitter it allows it to trend, still an active verb.

Consider the following statement I may post or tweet on Twitter.com: “I’m going to see Denis Leary’s #ThinningtheHerd tonight at the Mayo Performing Arts Center, can’t wait!” This post accomplishes a couple things. First, it announces to everyone on Twitter that I’m going to see Denis Leary. Second, it allows other people who are seeing Denis Leary's #Thinning the Herd to find out what others are saying about it by searching for "#ThinningtheHerd." The results will only show anyone that's posted the exact phrase "#ThinningtheHerd," which may be thousands of tweets to read. And the more people that enter in the specific phrase #ThinningtheHerd in their tweets, the more it trends or becomes the hot topic. You may also have noticed the single spacing in the example I just gave. That’s a formatting requirement for Twitter. Let’s not get into that subject.

So why exactly did Denis Leary and friends... who are Lenny Clarke, Robert Kelly and Kenny Rogerson by the way, decide to put a hashtag before the title of their show? We're not entirely sure and maybe they will explain it in their show, which you'll have to see to find out. But one thing is for sure, it accomplished in the 'real world' what it was intended to do in the digital world of the Internet. That is, it got us in the office to verbally talk to each other about #Thinning the Herd and to blog about it.

Tickets on sale now.

Violinist Itzhak Perlman on the arts

Violinist Itzhak Perlman discusses why it is important to support venues such as the Mayo Performing Arts Center backstage after his performance on Saturday, April 9, 2011. To learn more about how you can support the Mayo Center, click here.

100 Days to Health Challenge

With so much information out there today, from infomercials to magazines to water cooler talk, nutrition and fitness can be overwhelming. It's easy to get lost in the latest diet fad and exercise craze. And it can be daunting to do it alone.

The good news however is you don't have to do figure it all out and do it alone. Through the Morris County Chamber of Commerce Health & Wellness Committee and KEAS, our staff here at the Mayo Performing Arts Center are rising to the 100 Days to Health Challenge. Other participating companies include Novartis, Investors Savings Bank, Quest Diagnostics, Chilton Hospital, Solix Inc., Delta Dental, and various other companies in Morris County.

What is Keas? The following is an excerpt from the Keas website: Recently named by TIME Magazine as one of the "50 Best Websites for 2010," Keas is an interactive online service that empowers you to take charge of your health. Keas allows you to join teams and earn points for completing small, but important health-related "To-Dos." Keas also gives you personalized information about your health data—including lab results, current conditions, and risks—and tools to help you take action to reach your health goals.

We've divided into 3 separate teams because of the 6 member limitation. The competition is spirited but friendly as each member reminds one another to participate by going online and tracking fitness and nutrition goals. We've also gotten creative with our team names: Mayo on the Side, The Mayo Revolution, and Hold the Mayo.

With all the companies participating we're proud to say we're doing well. There are 355 teams and our teams are definitely ranked in the upper third due to points accumulated. Our very own “Hold the Mayo” team members like to boast that they’re number 12 of 355. We're 3 weeks in so let's see what happens in the upcoming month. Oh and good thing the elevator is out of order today because we have to walk up 3 flights to our administrative office. Wonder if we can get bonus points for that.

Stay tuned.

And don't forget to check out this weekend's lineup. This Thursday starts off with The Dukes of Dixieland, the oldest continuing jazz band straight from New Orleans. They've sold out such venues as The Hollywood Bowl, the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian, to name but a few.

On Friday, Roseanne Cash is here, Saturday violinist Itzhak Perlman makes his Morristown debut and closing out the weekend children can enjoy Winnie the Pooh for a delightful, eye-opening adventure based on A.A. Milne's books. Check out www.mayoarts.org for tickets and times.

Mayo Patrons Beat the Drums to Aid Japan at Kodo

Our patrons are pretty amazing. The Mayo Center thanks its patrons for their generous contributions to the American Red Cross at the Saturday, March 19th performance of the Kodo Drummers of Japan. All in all, $4500 was collected!

The Theatre donated all of its concession sales that evening to Red Cross Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief efforts. In addition, patrons were encouraged to donate funds after the performance. Members of Kodo came out to the lobby after the performance to thank patrons for their generous donations. A special thanks to the New Jersey Martial Arts Academy, which raised $1000 on its own and donated that to our efforts.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone!

Today we celebrated in a big way beginning with our staff lunch catered by the Dublin Pub. Included in the menu were potatoes and the staple corned beef and cabbage.

Following lunch was Green with Envy, our company cook off. The only rule was it had to be green. Staff members came up with delicious dishes that were judged on originality, taste, presentation, and overall awesomeness. Yes, that is a category.

This menu included super sugary, sweet-a-licious choices such as thin mint cheesecake, mini cup cakes, green apples with green caramel, Irish whiskey cake, grasshopper pie, limey triple, green ice cream cake, Bailey’s Irish cream cake, and green jello. Whew! Now as delicious as that sounds you’re probably wondering where the pictures are… well there are none. It was all devoured by a staff of 20 plus before we could get the trusty camera to document it all. So instead you get something better. Pictured below are our lovely staff members who won the cook off. At this point everyone is about to go into a food coma. Slán go fóill.

Pictured below left to right: Jill Hargrave – Originality, Katie Lemery – Taste, Lana Gusoff – Presentation, Cathy Roy – Taste, Jason Fluegge – Overall Awesomeness!

St. Patrick's parade weekend in Morristown

This past Tuesday members of The Trustees of The Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, The Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick of Morris County and The Irish American Association of Northwest Jersey supported the Mayo Performing Arts Center by providing a generous $5,000 donation for the installation of the Flagpole on the Theatre’s front plaza. In celebration of Morristown’s upcoming St Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 12th at noon, some members of these organizations and the 2011 Grand Marshall, William Quinn, gathered for a picture in front of the Flagpole on the Theatre plaza. In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, the Theatre is flying both the Stars and Stripes and the Irish flags this month.

Left to Right:
Robyn Quinn; Parade Co-chair, Bill Schoeck, President of the Irish American Association of Northwest Jersey; Dave Brennan; former Grand Marshall, Monsignor John F. Corr; Monsignor John Hart; 2011 Grand Marshall, William Quinn; Pete Eckland; Rich Smith; Jeff Rawding; Mike Beck; Parade Co-chair, Ernie Miltner, President of The Friendly Sons; former Grand Marshall, Jim Mongey; Bill Magnier; John Bradley

Left to Right: Former Grand Marshall, Monsignor John F. Corr with 2011 Grand Marshall, William Quinn, and former Grand Marshall, Jim Mongey.

Speaking of the parade… did you know you can literally kick off Morristown’s St. Patrick’s Day parade weekend with Celtic Fire on Friday night, March 11th! Direct from Ireland comes this electric fusion of Irish artistry, featuring thrilling step dancing and traditional folk music and songs under the artistic direction of Riverdance’s Michael Londra. Come on down and let your feet do the walking…or the step dancing.

If you can't make the show and you are out and about for the parade on Saturday, visit our table in front of the theatre from noon to 2pm for a chance to win tickets to an upcoming performance.

Also tonight you can get a taste of Tango Buenos Aires. Experience the passion, the romance and the spectacle of the world’s most sensual dance as performed by Argentina’s most celebrated dancers.

Hope everyone has a fun filled weekend!

Mayo Center Art Cover Contest

Photo (L to R): Haley Renken, Carina Fairfield and Joseph Park

Congratulations Carina Fairfield, Haley Renken of Randolph High School, and Joseph Park of Boonton High School! They were named the winners of The Mayo Center for the Performing Arts’ Visual Arts Art Cover Contest.

Carina’s entry will be featured as the cover of the Theatre’s March program book, which is handed out prior to most Theatre events that month. Haley’s entry will be featured as the cover of the Theatre’s April program book. Joseph Park’s entry will be featured as the cover of the Family program book in throughout the rest of the season.

Over four dozen Morris County students participated in the art contest. Students were asked to draw based on a theme of creativity and the arts. This is the second year that the contest has been held through the Theatre Education Department. Support for the contest was provided by Verizon.

“We are thrilled to once again offer this program, both honoring and inspiring young visual artists from all over Morris County,” said Cathy Roy,” Director of Education, Mayo Center for the Performing Arts. “ Through our Education programs, we are always striving to enhance the classroom curriculum of all of our participating schools, and seeing how the students took our theme of "Inspire, Imagine, Create, Discover, Celebrate The Arts," and expressed it through their artwork was so impressive. “

“Art has always been a huge part of my life,” Hayley Renken says. “It allows me to express my feelings. I really enjoyed challenging myself by participating in the contest to come up with a cover that exemplified the theater theme. I am truly honored to be given this outstanding recognition and hope to someday pursue a career in art!”

“Whether it’s a conduit to express my creativity or a calming break in the day, art has always been a great pleasure of mine,” Carina Fairfield says. “Since elementary school, I always looked forward to that one day each week my class would have an hour long art class in the art room. Now, I love walking into the art room each day, unwinding out of the busy scheduled day and having the opportunity to focus on working on my current piece. The anxieties of my day seem to melt away.”

“I enjoyed participating in the art contest, and I love the challenge of communicating to a broad audience with my artwork,” says Joseph Park. “On stormy, rainy days or during bright, sunny days, no matter what the weather, my friends and family know where to find me during any spare time I have: I will be glued to a chair, gripping a pencil, drawing in silence. Art will always be inside of me, and I wish to pursue an enduring career in the arts and animation, to create works that can inspire and entertain people of every generation.”

All participating students were invited to a reception on March 2 and samples of their works will be displayed in the Theatre throughout March.

For more photos see our Flickr page.

Mary Hagedorn's 90th Birthday Celebration

One of the most important ingredients here at the theatre is our volunteers. They are key members to our success. And on Friday night, prior to The Fab Four, we had the opportunity to celebrate the 90th birthday of our beloved volunteer Mary Hagedorn.

She has been here since the reopening of the theatre in 1994 and has been honored many times for her devotion to the arts and the development of the theatre.

This extraordinary woman is the most thought about and asked about woman in our volunteer program. If she is not present she is quickly inquired about because she is at a whopping 98% of our shows!

Never does she leaves her door (the iconic door #3) and never leaves a task unfinished. She is our toughest and most dedicated volunteer.

Most recently she has had a seat named after her for volunteering at more than 100 shows in a single season. It's row EE seat 103 in case you wanted to sit there for a performance!

Thank you Mary Hagedorn! We look forward to seeing you at every show!



See more photos on our Flickr page!

February 23rd

Do you want to get involved in some of the fun here at The Community Theatre? Here's one way you can -
New!! Improv Workshop for Adults: Ages 18 & up
Thursdays 7:00-8:30 p.m.
8 week program begins March 10th, 2011
For the beginner to experienced performer! Have you always wanted to act and perform in front of an audience? Have a great time working on improv exercises, scenes and monologues. Learn good solid acting technique in a fun and creative atmosphere. Class work toward improv night and showcase.

To register, please visit our website at www.mayoarts.org or call the Performing Arts School hotline at 973.539.0345 x6582.

This weekend The Fab Four lands in Morristown! Back by audience demand, The Fab Four returns to keep to keep the spirit and the sounds of The Beatles alive for fans old and young.

February 15th

A big congratulations to Rachel Alvey of Madison High School and Sophia Laurenzi of Montville High School, pictured above left to right with their teachers, who advanced to the state finals after this morning’s Poetry Out Loud.

Hosted this morning at the Mayo Performing Arts Center, Poetry Out Loud is a national recitation contest created to encourage the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. Presented by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, the contest aims to help students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.



Poetry Out Loud New Jersey Region 4 finalists. Front row (l to r): Rachel Alvey- Madison High School, Sophia Laurenzi- Montville High School, Romana Steindler- Hunterdon Learning Center, Lauren Dwane-Kinnelon High School. Second row (l to r) Jasmine Noel-St. Mary of Assumption High School, Jodi Bishoff- Vernon Township High School, Daniela Mallack- Trinity Christian School, and Seamus Cogdon- Morris County School of Technology.

For more pictures see our flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/58579232@N05/

February 7th

This past weekend the HMS Pinafore arrived at port and sailed off just before the New Shanghai Circus rang in the Chinese New Year- the year of the Rabbit. If anyone saw that show you probably left thinking 'How'd they do that?'

We’d like to give a big congratulations to our February 2011 Music Students of the Month who were announced this past Friday prior to the NY Gilbert & Sullivan Players: HMS Pinafore show!


From left to right: Ryan Callahan, Angela Dench, Marli Horwitz, Victoria Kulesza, Lindsay Morrison, Dana Nix, Kristen Rothe.

For those who don’t know… Students are nominated by their teachers and are chosen by the Theatre’s Education Department based on their commitment to and excellence in the performing arts. The Theatre honors a group of students every month throughout the season and invites area teachers to nominate students for this honor. Students are then invited to perform at a year-end recital in June. The 2010-2011 Music Student of the Month program is sponsored by Verizon.

This weekend’s forecast brings us a mix of shows that is just as eclectic as our recent weather. On Thursday night, temperatures will rise with Hot Tuna Blues and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, accompanied by blues icon Charlie Musselwhite on harmonica and guitar, and two-time Grammy-winner Jim Lauderdale.

Friday calls for an evening of tap with Savion Glover's lastest creation, “SoLo in TiMe.” The Tony award winner and company will weave together tap song compositions and flamenco tradition in a breatakingly clectric montage of speed, rhythm, and song.

And finally Saturday night, a laughter front arrives to Morristown with Off-Broadway's longest-running hit, “I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change”. This comically musical joyride through the jungle of the modern-day mating game is one you can't miss. So come on down and bring your Valentine!

January 31st

Cats! Wow! What more can I say… First off it is truly amazing to have had such an iconic Broadway show on our stage.

Second, something that is just as amazing – the feats our crew go through to make shows this size happen… 3 tractor trailers to unload and mounds of snow to contend with… now that is a wow!

And third, something that’s truly special are the things that professional artists, in this case specifically cast members of Cats! do for our community. Below are pictures from Sunday morning’s master class with students of our performing arts school.

It really is commendable for the cast to perform their hearts out Saturday night, teach our kids Sunday morning, then turn around and perform a matinee later that afternoon.

Can we top this past weekend? I like to think we do that with each new weekend that approaches. We’ve got another classic arriving to port, Gilbert & Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore, followed by the New Shanghai Circus, and finally Beauty & the Beast.

For more information on our Education programs or future master classes visit our website’s Education page.

For more pictures from the Cats! master class visit our Flickr page.





For more pictures visit our Flickr page.

January 24th

It was another exciting weekend here at the Mayo Performing Arts Center. We traveled to a galaxy far, far away with Charles Ross’s One Man Star Wars Trilogy and arrived home to listen to Morristown’s very own - The Praise and Worship Choir of Calvary Baptist Church of Morristown who opened for the Harlem Gospel Choir Saturday night!

And it looks like we have another winter storm heading our way, but that won’t stop us because we’re looking forward to Manhattan Comedy Night and Andrew Lloyd Weber’s timeless musical Cats this weekend.